Indonesia launched the Nusantara 5 (N5) satellite, touted as Southeast Asia’s largest communications satellite, on Thursday evening (Sep. 11) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States. The communications satellite is expected to accelerate internet access in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost regions (3T).
However, behind the achievement lies the fact that all Indonesian telecommunications satellites currently in operation are still manufactured and launched by foreign companies, a dependency that has persisted for nearly 50 years since the launch of the first Palapa Satellite in 1976.
Satellites play a crucial role for the country, not only in communication but also in monitoring weather, national defense and security, and even Indonesia’s natural resources. If controlled by foreign entities, there is a risk that they may gain greater access to data about the nation’s wealth than Indonesia itself.
Professor of computer networks and an expert in satellite communication systems at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FMIPA UGM), Tri Kuntoro Priyambodo, affirmed that Indonesia is fully capable of pursuing self-reliance in satellite technology.
According to Professor Priyambodo, the country does not lack the expertise and experience necessary for independent satellite development. He recalled that one of his students had contributed to the development of the Telkom 3 satellite. Although it failed to launch due to an explosion, it demonstrated that Indonesian human resources possess the required knowledge.
“The answer is absolutely yes. There is no problem if our human resources are entrusted to develop and build satellites on their own. Much experience and methodology have also been developed by colleagues at LAPAN,” he said at FMIPA UGM on Wednesday (Sep. 17).
Professor Priyambodo went on to explain that between 2010 and 2013, several Indonesian universities, including UGM, UI, ITB, ITS, PENS, and Telkom University Bandung, with support from the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), collaborated on a joint project to build a nano-satellite under the INSPIRE (Inter-University Nano Satellite Project for Indonesian Education) initiative, also known as the Inter-University Satellite Project (IiNUSAT-1).
Each university was assigned responsibility for different components of the satellite. This initiative responded to a ministry challenge to demonstrate that Indonesian universities could unite to support satellite programs.
“We developed nano-satellites from the internal systems, to the technical specifications, and up to producing a prototype that was then integrated,” he recalled.
Professor Priyambodo also noted that the Agricultural Research and Development Agency had once considered using satellites to predict agricultural land management. At the time, subscription fees for foreign satellite data were extremely high. In fact, the cost of purchasing satellite imagery for three years could have financed the development of a domestic satellite.
“From this, I identified three concerns. First, in terms of defense needs, we are at a disadvantage. Second, there is a lack of trust in local experts. Third, outsourcing means a financial outflow. But most importantly, who can guarantee the confidentiality of our data?” he questioned.
He stressed that the government must safeguard national sovereignty by promoting independence in satellite development. While such technology requires continuous study, adaptation, and advancement, it must also be practiced and applied, especially amid rapid developments in artificial intelligence.
He expressed hope that the government would place greater trust in domestic human resources for the development and mastery of satellite technology, as research in this field can significantly impact public welfare.
“We cannot allow others to know our land better than we do. Nor can we allow others to have more knowledge of the communications among our leaders than our own people. Let us build sovereignty by building satellites independently,” he urged.
Author: Leony
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Illustration: Bisnis.com